Match-box or other receptacle.



PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

A. E. FULLER.

MATCH BOX 0E OTHER EEGEPTAGLE.

vAPPLIATION FILED FEB. 18. 1903.

INVENTOR. Hb'arllla BY E? aigu ATTORNEY 1 l l l fr.. n r u n .Ifo

WITNESSES:

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ALBERT F. FULLER, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. E. MERGOTTCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MATCH-BOX OR OTHER RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

lipplicatiou filed February 18, 1903. Serial No. 143,920.

To (LU whom, it nta/ concern:

Beit known that LALBERT F.FULLER,a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark. in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Match-Boxes or otherReceptacles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention` such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to'improvernents in boxes or receptacles formatches or other articles; and the invention has for its principalobjects to provide a neat and simply-constructed box the parts of whichcan be easily assembled and in which the matches con tained in the boxcannot accidentally become ignited when the lid of the box is opened.

My present invention thereforel consists in the novel match or other boxhereinafter fully set forth; and, furthermore, this invention consistsin the various novel karrangements and combinations of parts, all ofwhich will be described in detail in the accompanying specification andthen inally embodied in the clauses of the claim, which form part of andare appended to said specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure 1 is a side View of a match-box ernbodying the principlesof this invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are two longitudinal verticalsections ofthe box, respectively representing the spring-actuated lid orcover of the box in its raised and closed positions. Fig. 4 is atransverse vertical section taken on line4 4 in Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of arrow af. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of aspring-'plate and a fixed plate, respectively, employed with the presentform of match-box.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the saidhereinabove described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In the said drawings the reference character 1 indicates the completebox, the same comprising a main body 2, preferably formed with an upperbead or projection 3 and alower' bead or projection 4, substantially asillustrated. The lower end of said body 2 is closed by means of a cap orshell 5, and its upper end forms an opening or mouth 6. The said body 2may be provided uponl its outer surface with a suitable covering 7,which may be leather, Celluloid, or any other suitable material, or, ifdesired, such covering may be entirely dispensed with. Suitably securedin the sides of said body 2 and extending across rthe rear of the mouthof said body is a pintle 8, upon which is pivotedgby means ofsuitably-disposed perforated ears or lugs 10, a lid or cover 9. Thiscover is made in such amanner that when in its closed position its sides11 and front edge 12 will surround the outer surfaces of the sides ofsaid body 2 at its mouth and the marginal edges 13 of said sides 1 1'and front 12 will rest upon the upper bead or projection 3, as will beclearly understood from an inspection of the drawings. Within thechambered portion 14 of said lid or cover 10 is secured, near the catchportion of the lid, by means of a rivet 15 or in any other suitablemanner, a leaf-spring 16, bent to approximately conform to the innercurved surface of the top of said lid or cover, but capable of a slightmovement in said chamber 14, said spring having a tongue or stud 17extending at right angles, or approximately so, from the main body ofsaid spring 16 and located directly in front of the pintle 8, asclearlyillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. From an inspectionof Figs. 2, 3, and 4 it will be seen that the said body 2 is providedupon its rear edge with a loop 18 or other suitably-constructed. andsuitably-secured holding means, in which is arranged and held asuitably-bent tongue 2O of a tixed and rigid plate or member 21, saidplate 21 resting directly against a projection 22, also upon the rearedge of said body 2; but of course it will be understood that said plate21`may otherwise be secured in said body 2. When the lid or cover 9 isin its closed position, then the upper end portion 23 of sai'd plate ormember 21 has in frictional holding engagement therewith the tongue orstud 17 of the leaf-spring 16, a projection, as 24, on said plate 21being in forcible contact with said stud or tongue 17, and therebyretaining i the lid or cover 9 in its closed relation over the mouth 6of the b'ox or receptacle, as illustrated. When the lid or cover 9 isbeing raised,` the edge 19 of said stud or tongue 17 will be caused toride against the said plate 21 until said edge 19 is brought against thesaid projection 24, which acts as a stop to limit the pivotal movementof said lid or IOO cover 9, the said stud or projection 17 owing to itsaction'upon the xed plate or member 21 at the same time forcing theleaf-spring still farther into the body of the lid or cover of the boxor receptacle, whereby the contact between the portions 23 of said plate21 and the stud or tongue 17 of the spring 16 will positively retain thecover or lid 9 in its raised or open position, as will be clearlyunderstood from an inspection of Fig. 2 of the drawings.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised a simpleand operative device to be used for the reception of matches or otherarticles and especially for matches, the arrangement of the spring 16within the lid allowing for a greater movement and resiliency of thespring to positively hold the lid open and with its arrangement and thatof the fixed plate or member 2l preventing any contact of the movableparts within the box with the heads of the matches and positivelyovercoming all danger of igniting the matches by accident.

It will be evident that by securing the spring 16 within the lid orcover 10, as stated in the foregoing description, a long spring may beemployed, which, although it has but a slight movement within thechambered portion of the lid or cover, will have an increased movementat its tongue or stud 17. The said tongue or stud thus exerts a positiveand increased pressure upon the rigid member or plate 21, whereby thelid or cover flies back with force and is rigidly held in its openedposition. Furthermore, the spring may be made from thin metal, givingincreased resiliency and great leverage at the tongue or stud 17. Thesaid member or plate 2l being rigid within the body of the match-box,there is no danger of igniting the heads of the matches while opening orclosing the said lid or cover.

I am aware that some changes may be made in the several arrangements andcombinations of parts, as well as in the details of the constructionthereof, without departing from the scope of my present invention. HenceI do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinationsof the parts as described in the previous specication and as illustratedin the accompanying drawings, nor do I confine myself to the exactdetails of the construction of the said parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A box orreceptacle for matches or other articles, comprising, a main body havinga mouth, a chambered lid pivotally connected with said mouth, and aspring having its main portion movably arranged in the chamber of saidlid for retaining said lid in its opened and closed positions, saidspring having a downwardly-extending tongue, means for attaching oneendof said spring in the forward portion of said lid near the catch portionthereof, a fixed plate in said body with which said tongue is in slidingengagement, and a stop on said plate, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. A box or receptacle for matches or other articles, comprising, a mainbody having a mouth, a pintle extending across the rear end of saidmouth,achambered lid arranged above said mouth, perforated earsconnected with said lid by means of which said lid is pivoted on saidpintle, a spring having its main portion movably arranged in the chamberof said lid having a downwardly-extending tongue for retaining said lidin its opened and closed positions, said tongue lying closely againstsaid pintle, means for attaching one end of said spring in the forwardportion of said lid near the catch portion thereof, a fixed platein'said body with which said tongue isxin slidable engagement, and astop on said plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A box or receptacle for matches or other articles, comprising, a mainbody having a mouth, a chambered lid pivotally connected with saidmouth, a spring having its main portion movably arranged in said chamberof said lid for retaining said lid in its' opened and closed positions,said spring having a tongue extending into the mouth of said body, aholding-loop in said body, means for attaching one end of said spring inthe forward portion of said lid near the catch portion thereof, and aplate having its lower end held and secured in said loop and having itsupper end in engagement with said tongue, and a stop on said plate, saidplate being rigid within the body of said box, substantially as' and forthe purposes set forth.

4C. A box or receptacle for matches or other articles, comprising, amain body having a mouth, a pintle extending across the back end of saidmouth, a chambered lid arranged above said mouth, perforated earsconnected with said lid by means of which said lid is pivoted on saidpintle, a spring having its main portion movably arranged in thechambered portion of said lid, said spring having a tongue extendinginto the mouth of said body, means for attaching one end of said springin the forward portion of said lid near the catch portion thereof, aholding-loop in said body, and a plate having its lower end held andsecured in said loop and having its upper end in engagement with saidtongue, and a stop on said plate, said plate being rigid within the bodyof said box, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 13th day -of February, 1903.

ALBERT F. FULLER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. C. F RAENTZEL, GEO. D. RICHARDS.

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